A

Zachariah Fike has an unusual hobby. He finds old military(军队的)medals for sale in antique stores and on the Internet. But unlike most collectors, Zac tracks down the medals’ rightful owners, and returns them.

His effort to reunite families with lost medals began with a Christmas gift from his mother, a Purple Heart with the name Corrado A.G. Piccoli, found in an antique shop. Zac knows the meaning of a Purple Heart - he earned one himself in a war as a soldier. So when his mother gave him the medal, he knew right away what he had to do.

Through the Internet, Zac tracked down Corrado's sister Adeline Rockko. But when he finally reached her, the woman flooded him with questions: “Who are you? What antique shop?” However, when she hung up, she regretted the way she had handled the call. So she called Zac back and apologized. Soon she drove to meet Zac in Watertown, N.Y. “At that point, I knew she meant business,” Zac says. “To drive eight hours to come to see me.”

The Piccolis grew up the children of Italian immigrants in Watertown. Corrado, a translator for the Army during WWII, was killed in action in Europe.

Before hearing from Zac, Adeline hadn't realized the medal was missing. Like many military medals, the one Zac's mother had found was a family treasure. “This medal was very precious to my parents. Only on special occasions(场合)would they take it out and let us hold it in our hands,” Adeline says.

As a child, Adeline couldn't understand why the medal was so significant. “But as I grew older,” Adeline says, “and missed my brother more and more, I realized that was the only thing we had left.” Corrado Piccoli's Purple Heart medal now hangs at the Italian American Civic association in Watertown.

Zac recently returned another lost medal to a family in Alabama. Since he first reunited Corrado's medal, Zac says his record is now 5 for 5.

21.Where did Zac get a Purple Heart medal for himself?

A. In the army.B. In an antique shop.

C. From his mother.D. From Adeline Rockko.

22.What did Zac realize when Adeline drove to meet him?

A. She was very impolite.B. She was serious about the medal.

C. She suspected his honesty.D. She came from a wealthy family.

23.What made Adeline treasure the Purple Heart?

A. Her parents’ advice.

B. Her knowledge of antiques.

C. Her childhood dream.

D. Her memory of her brother.

21.答案解析：

根据文中“Zac knows the meaning of a Purple Heart - he earned one himself in a war as a soldier.”可知，Zac 在军队当兵时获得了紫心勋章，所以选A。

22.根据“Soon she drove to meet Zac in Watertown, N.Y. ‘At that point, I knew she meant business,’ Zac says. ‘To drive eight hours to come to see me.’”以及后文提到勋章对 Adeline 一家的意义可知，Adeline 开车来见 Zac 表明她对勋章这件事是认真的，所以选B。

23.根据“‘But as I grew older,’ Adeline says, ‘and missed my brother more and more, I realized that was the only thing we had left.’”可知，对哥哥的回忆让 Adeline 珍视这枚紫心勋章，所以选D。

B

Money with no strings attached. It's not something you see every day. But at Union station in Los Angeles last month, a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read" Give What You Can, Take What You Need.

People quickly caught on. And while many took dollars, many others pinned their own cash to the board. “People of all ages. races. and socio-economic(社会绝务的) backgrounds gave and took, ”said Tyler Bridges of The Toolbox, which created the project. “We even had a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars. ” Most of the bills on the board were singles, but a few people left fives, tens and even twenties. The video clip (片段)shows one man who had found a $20 bill pinning it to the board

“What I can say for the folks that gave the most, is that they were full of smiles,” Bridges said. “There's a certain feeling that giving can do for you and that was apparent in those that gave the most. ” Most people who took dollars took only a few, but Bridges said a very small number took as much as they could.

While the clip might look like part of a new ad campaign, Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity and sympathy! He added that he hopes people in other cities might try similar projects and post their own videos on the Internet.

“After all, everyone has bad days and good days,” he said. “Some days you need a helping hand and some days you can be the one giving the helping hand.”

24.What does the expression “money with no strings attached” in paragraph 1 mean?

A. Money spent without hesitation B. Money not legally madeC. Money offered without conditions D. Money not tied together

25.What did Bridges want to show by mentioning the bride?

A. Women tended to be more sociable. B. The activity attracted various people.

C economic problems were getting worse D. Young couples needed financial assistance.

26.Why did Bridges carry out the project?

A. To do a test on people's morals. B. To raise money for his company.

C. To earn himself a good reputation. D. To promote kindness and sympathy.

答案解析：

24.根据后文“a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read 'Give What You Can, Take What You Need.'”可知，这块板上的美钞只需要人们按自己能力给予、按自己需求拿取，没有任何附加条件，所以“money with no strings attached”意思是“无条件提供的钱”，选C。

25.根据“People of all ages, races, and socio - economic (社会经济) backgrounds gave and took”以及提到“a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars”可知，提到新娘是为了说明这个活动吸引了各种各样的人，选B。

26.根据“Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity and sympathy”可知，Bridges开展这个项目的目的是展现慷慨和同情，即促进善良和同情，选D。

C

California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor (因素).

The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46,000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.

Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick McIntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources (资源).

But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, McIntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.

The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt (融雪).

Since the 1930s, McIntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.

27.What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A. The seriousness of big-tree loss in CaliforniaB. The increasing variety of California big trees.

C. The distribution of big trees in California forests.

D. The influence of farming on big trees in California

28.Which of the following is well-intentioned but may be bad for big trees?

A. Ecological studies of forests. B. Banning woodcutting.

C. Limiting housing development. D. Fire control measures.

29.What is a major cause of the water shortage according to McIntyre?

A. Inadequate snowmelt. B. A longer dry season

C. A warmer climate D. Dampness of the air

30.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. California's Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone?

B. Cutting of Big Trees to Be Prohibited in California Soon

C. Why Are the Big Trees important to California Forests?

D. Patrick McIntyre: Grow More Big Trees in California

答案：

27. A

28. D

29. C

30. A

答案解析：

根据第二段中详细列举的加利福尼亚不同地区大树数量下降的具体数据，如“the number of big trees has fallen by more 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent”可知，该段主要是在说明加利福尼亚大树损失的严重性，所以选A。更多真题请微信搜索英语巴士小程序。

根据“Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources (资源).”可知，积极的野火控制措施本是好意，但却导致小树与大树争夺资源，对大树不利，所以选D。

根据“Since the 1930s, McIntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures...”可知，气温上升(气候变暖)是导致缺水的主要原因，所以选C。

文章主要围绕加利福尼亚自20世纪30年代以来失去了一半的大树这一现象展开，阐述了导致大树减少的因素等，A选项“加利福尼亚的森林：那些大树都去哪儿了?”符合文章主旨，所以选A。